Assist. Prof. Dr. Jawad Kadhim Oliwi, Assist. Prof.Dr. Qahtan Adnan Hamad, Assist. Prof. Dr. Mayada Shanan Abd / Department of Materials Engineering / University of Technology participated as lecturers in the scientific seminar entitled "Engineering materials and their applications in the medical field" held by the University College of Isra / Department of Dentistry on Wednesday, 18/12/2019. Assist. Prof. Dr. Jawad Kadhim Oliwi, Assist. Prof.Dr. Qahtan Adnan Hamad are delivered a lecture of "Medical Applications of Polymer and Composite Materials"

Where the two lecturers discussed the importance of polymeric and composite materials in the medical field, including their use in the manufacture and dental implants, as well as in most parts of the body, such as the manufacture of prosthetics, cartilage, tendons, knee joint, hip joint, cartilage of the vertebrae of the spine, and replacement for damaged tissues.

Assist. Prof. Dr. Mayada Shanan Abd delivered a lecture of "Green Sythesis of Nanoparticles for Medical Applications" where the lecturer discussed the concept of green industry and its role in preserving the environment, energy sources and public health. The green industry aims to limit or reduce a large extent of dangerous chemical materials accompanying any industry or technology, and this can be done using materials or manufacturing methods or technology or a friendly design for the environment. The lecture also mentioned the many applications of these materials in daily life and popular as realistic products such as antibiotics and sterile air filters using nanoscale silver or drinking water filters, anti-bacterial clothing and auxiliary drugs to treat cancer patients.

Assist Prof. Dr. Luma Akram / Department of Materials Engineering / University of Technology Participated in the workshop tagged "the role of universities in the activities of scientific care " held by scientific care department / Ministry of Youth and Sports for the period 25-27 / 12/2019 in Erbil, in which a number of teaching staff from the University of technology are participated as well as staff from other universities. The workshop included a lecture by Dr. Ahmed Saad olaiwi which he reviewed all the activities that run within universities in terms of the application of a project that includes scientific visits to factories to apply experiences and increase business for the work market and entrepreneurship. The workshop also involved a lecture by Mr. Hassan Ismail entitled "accelerator laboratories for Youth activities" and included the adoption of young people in giving solutions by proposing ideas and create the largest network of information, as well as a lecture by Dr. Ahmed Saad olaiwi entitled "Projects" included the application of a project by visiting students at colleges for the application and integration of scientific and practical details as well as a range of memory and intelligence and the use of electronic means of illustration applications.

Prof. Dr. Alaa Abdul Hassan Attiya / Department of Materials Engineering / University of Technology has been assigned the duties of vice chancellor for scientific and postgraduate affairs on 19/12/2019.

Assist.Prof. Dr. Hussien Alaa Jaber / Department of Materials Engineering / University of Technology has been assigned the duties of head of the Department of Materials Engineering on 19/12/2019.

A master’s student “Asala Muhammad Arabi” defended her thesis “Industrial Applications for Substituted Natural Polymers” on Tuesday, January, 7^th, at the conference room C/ Materials Engineering Department/University of Technology. The Committee included:

1.Assistant Prof. Ali Amer Abdul- Hadi/ Alkufa University/ Chemical Engineering Department as a chair.

2. Assistant Prof. Wafaa Mahdi Slih/ University of Technology/ Materials Engineering Department as a committee member.
3. Dr. Muhammad Rmayed Gargan/ University of Technology/ Materials Engineering Department as a committee member.
4. Assistant Prof. Kadhim Mutar Shabeeb/ University of Technology/ Materials Engineering Department as an adviser.
5. Dr. Ayad Kadhim Hasan/ University of Technology/ Materials Engineering Department as an adviser.

The dissertation was scientifically evaluated by Assist. Prof. Dr. Saad Hanash Amar / Alnahrain University / College of Engineering / Department of Chemistry Engineering, and linguistically by Lec. Yakdhan reda Mahdi / University of Technology / English Language Center.

The discussion of the dissertation was conducted in a scientific atmosphere and a master's degree with grade of pass was awarded to the student after the completion of all the corrections that have been decided by the examiners.

Abstract

       The main goal of this study is to prepare a composites material using residual plant and environmentally friendly materials (corn cob), where the corn cob is cut and grinded into powder, then extracted in a Soxhlet apparatus using benzene/ethanol mixture (1:1 v/v %) as an appropriate solvent in order to remove wood extractives. Then using the Kürchner-Hoffer method to isolate cellulose by the Delignification process or Bleaching process. Finally, the cellulose is acetylated to get cellulose acetate.                                                                                                          

       In this work, Untreated corn cob powder, Solvent treated corn cob, Nitric acid treated corn cob powder, and Acetylated corn cob powder  were mixed with unsaturated polyester resin. The incompatibility between untreated natural fiber and unsaturated polyester resin due to the hydrophilic nature of natural fiber while polyester resin has hydrophobic nature, therefore, it is important to treated the natural fiber to enhance interaction between matrix and reinforcement.                                            

        The effects of the untreated natural fiber and treated natural fiber with different concentrations (0, 1, 2, and 3 wt.%) were studied. the effect of the different concentrations and treatment processes were evaluated by the inspection of mechanical properties (e.g., tensile, impact, bending, hardness), physical properties (e.g., thermal conductivity, water absorption, density), and  Microstructure and spectroscopy properties (e.g., Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy  (FTIR), Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC), and Scanning Electron Microscope  (SEM)).                                                                                                               The results for  the Mechanical properties tests showed that there is an enhancement in mechanical properties (Tensile, Impact, Hardness, and Bending) due to the treatments (Solvent treatment, Nitric acid treatment, and Acetylation) by increasing the treated corn cob powder mass fraction (1, 2, and 3wt. %) respectively.

       Physical properties tests results (Density, Water absorption, and Thermal conductivity) showed that there is a decreasing in density during each treatment (Solvent treatment, Nitric acid treatment, and Acetylation) by increasing the treated corn cob powder mass fraction (1, 2, and       3wt. %) respectively, while there is an increasing in thermal conductivity and water absorption for each treatment and by increasing in mass fraction.

      FTIR analysis, SEM and DSC showed that as increasing the chemical treatment to natural fiber, the compatibility between matrix and reinforcement  increased.

A master’s student “Duaa Mahmood Abdullah” defended her thesis “Improve the cement materials properties by adding nano for drilling activity” on Thursday, December, 19^th, at the conference room C/ Materials Engineering Department/University of Technology. The Committee included:

1. Aseel Basim Abdul-Husayn/ University of Technology/ Materials Engineering Department as a chair.
2. Assistant Prof. Sarmad Emad Ibraheem/ / University of Technology/ Materials Engineering Department as a committee member.
3. Hamza Mustafa Kamal/ Mustansiriyah University / Materials Engineering Department as a committee member.
4. Assistant Prof. Farhad Muhammad Othman/ University of Technology/ Continuous Education Center as an adviser.
5. Assistant Prof. Alaa Ala-oldeen Abdul-Hameed/ University of Technology/ Materials Engineering Department as an adviser.

Abstract

      Cement materials are important not only for modern structures and buildings in expanding urban environments and mega projects, but also for a variety of industries including the oil and gas production sector, specifically in drilling and completion operations. Proper slurry design is evolve from using smart cement  to success of a cementing functions.

      In this thesis a ball mill procedure was used to prepare a nanopowder from a cement dust waste material supplied by cement factory for reinforcing the oil well cement through using it as a partial replacement of oil well cement class G. The produced powder (CDNPs) was characterized by Particle Size Distribution (PSD), X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), Energy Dispersive x-ray spectroscopy(EDS), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and bulk density measurement.

       The weight percentages of partial replacement were  (0.25 to 1wt%)  for CDNPs, ZnO nano rods (ZnONRs)and polypropylene micro fiber (PPMFs) with oil well cement with the same percentages. The addition of mixtures of ((CDNPs:  ZnONRs), (CDNPs: PPMFs)) with a ratio equal to (0.25 to 1 wt %), the mix with a water to cement ratio for all samples was kept at 0.44.

       The characterizations of the prepared samples were done, dry density ,porosity, compressive strength , free water and thickening time also done on these.

These experimental results showed that after the addition of  these additives in cement mortar, the rate of increasing in compressive strength at 38 ⁰C is (25, 37 ,31, 49, 43) % for cement mortar samples with (1wt %) (CDNPs,  ZnONRs, PPMFs and mixture of(CDNPs: ZnONRs),(CDNPs: PPMFs), respectively, compared to the control sample and at 60⁰C, the rate of increasing in compressive strength is (24 ,34 ,28% , 46and 37%) % for cement mortar class G samples with (1wt %) (CDNPs, ZnONRs, PPMFs, and mixture of(CDNPs: ZnONRs),(CDNPs: PPMFs), respectively , and the dry density of cement mortars mixed with  these additives  is higher than control cement mortar, where the rate of increasing in values of  dry density is (8, 13, 15, 17.5 and 18.7) % for mortar samples with (1wt%) (CDNPs, ZnONRs ,PPMFs, and mixtures of the (CDNps: ZnONRs) and (CDNps: PPMFs))respectively, from  the  control  sample.  the porosity of cement  mortars mixed with additives are decreased. The rate of decreasing in values of porosity  is (19, 30, 32, 43, 44) % with (1wt %) (CDNPs, ZnONRs ,PPMFs, and mixtures of the (CDNps: ZnONRs) and (CDNps: PPMFs)) respectively.

      These additions gives better results by reducing  free water of slurry and act as accelerators on the thickening time of cement class G and experimental outcomes display that the mechanical ,physical and structural properties improved significantly with the development phase of calcium silicate  hydration C-S-H that makes it proper as smart cement for the oil well applications.

Assistant Professor Ahmad Sultan Ali/ Alnahrayn University/ Civil Engineering Department reviewed and characterized the thesis by the methods of science, whereas Assistant Professor Sameer Ali Ameen/ University of Technology/ Mechanical Engineering Department reviewed the thesis linguistically to meet the style of English. Congratulations to the student on her graduation.